React Native and Flutter: Which framework is better in 2022?

Let's start with the fact that cross-platform mobile frameworks help application developers reach improved development results. Most developers are choosing cross-platform technologies and prefer them to native ones. What is the most suitable choice for fast and cost-effective cross-platform mobile app development in 2022? We analogized two technologies, React Native and Flutter, so that you can determine which cross-platform framework for your app will be the best one. RN and Flutter are two of the most widespread cross-platform frameworks today. By the way, both of these platforms suggest various influential features and benefits.

Flutter is a cross-platform, open-source mobile SDK developed by Google that operates the Dart language. Using it, you can build apps for iOS, Android, Linux, Windows, Mac and Google Fuchsia, as well as web applications from a single source code. Flutter is appropriate for developing both MVP and large applications.

React Native is a free and open-source framework that permits you to develop cross-platform apps for iOS, Android, Windows and macOS. Whereas RN uses JavaScript and the React architecture, creating web versions of these apps is easy.

Might React Native and Flutter be the same?

Let's see what they have in common. These frameworks are free and open-source. As a rule, they allow you to develop cross-platform applications and boast:

• continuous persistence – Google and Facebook sustain them continually and remove bugs quickly, so both frameworks are reliable;
• customizability – since both platforms are open-source, they have more customization options than other solutions;
• excellent user interface – although Flutter uses widgets and React Native UI components, both platforms allow you to create impressive user interfaces;
• warm restart – developers see UI changes in real-time without the necessity for manual page updating;
• fast, cost-effective development – creating cross-platform apps from a single code base accelerates development while saving resources.

Considering all the positive aspects of these technologies, experts suppose that other mixed frameworks for developing mobile applications cannot compete with these leading technologies. There are few options for Flutter and React Native, so they are the most suitable candidates for building cross-platform apps.

The principal similarities between frameworks are they are open-source, backed by major tech companies and speed up mobile app development compared to being cross-platform.

How, then, does React Native differ from Flutter?

1. User interface creation.
   Now let's take a closer look at the differences between React Native and Flutter. One of them concerns UI creation. React Native uses native iOS and Android UI components. Therefore, the components of a React Native app look the same as the components of the related platform. If an OS update changes the look or function of these components, they will be updated in your app in the same way. The upside is that you may need to jet new releases less often.
   Flutter instead of using native UI elements offers customized widgets that are rendered from scratch. Flutter comes with Material and Cupertino components to make the interface look native, and you can use and adapt any widget in the Flutter library or develop your widgets. However, the library of the user interface is in the early stage. You may not run out of components, but the number of component libraries for React Native is much larger.
2. Architecture.
   React Native apps use two main building patterns – Flux and Redux. While the former is created by Facebook, the latter is more famous among developers. What's more, both of these structures follow a one-way data flow pattern during development and provide application state storage in a central "datastore" making application components stateless. Alternatively, you can use the new feature of React Native, the Context API, to manage the state.
   When comparing Flutter with React Native, although Flutter has numerous architectures that are popular in the developer community, since the platform is relatively new, it has some hesitation about the most appropriate application to use.
3. Programming language.
   The programming language is the key and most significant difference between Flutter and React Native. It will greatly affect your decision in favor of React Native if you are already familiar with JavaScript.
   Flutter uses the Dart programming language released by Google in 2011. Developers do not employ it frequently, but Dart syntax is manageable for Java and JavaScript developers to comprehend because it conforms to many object-oriented principles.
   You know, JavaScript has one of the largest, and maybe even the largest community. It is used with various prevalent JavaScript frameworks including React. Thus, it permits developers to create mobile applications without extensive training. That is why many organizations have been able to adapt to React Native. JavaScript, being a runtime typing, makes it more open.
4. Development time.
   Developers prefer to use React Native as it is more efficient, reduces build time and provides a better user interface. While Flutter presents customization capability and usability improvement, it cannot match fast and simple ready-to-use components, which shortens the React Native app development process.
5. Stability.
   For a mobile application to work perfectly, it must be stable. When resembling Flutter and React Native in terms of stability, the latter is preferred by the developer community as it is well known, reliable and offers more features. As a new member, Flutter is still functioning on stability improvement. The alpha release is not stable enough for large projects. The newly released beta versions of Flutter 2 have a lot of special features, but it will be a long time before developers adopt it over React Native as it has to verify its stability.
6. Usage database.
   React Native, as an established framework for mobile app development, is famous for the big names that have adopted it for their businesses. In addition to Facebook and Instagram, companies using React Native include Walmart, Airbnb and Skype. Another RN advantage is it is appropriate for projects of all sizes.

As a newcomer, Flutter is still trying to establish itself in the industry, and it will be several years before it builds a unique usage database. However, it got off to a great start with Alibaba, Hamilton Music, Ten Cent, JD Finance and Abbey Road Studios using Flutter to develop their mobile apps.

So we assume the main distinctions depend on the programming language of each framework, the developer productivity, and how they manage the continuous process of delivery and integration. What is most important for the customer is development time, simplicity, the fact that due to the wide community it is faster to find a more suitable developer and, of course, greater stability.

Why SDA clients prefer React Native

As you know, RN is a powerful framework used by businesses of all sizes to create mobile applications from scratch. It is a fast, efficient and relatively easy way to build JavaScript apps. Its main advantage allows you to quickly build an app for countless platforms simultaneously and also has a short learning curve. React Native is widely used by big brands, so do not worry that it will disappear in the next couple of years.

Seeing that our company works with startups and small companies, it should be noted that React Native is just perfect for them. You will ask why? First of all, precisely because it reduces the costs and time for the development of the first version, which is so important to release in order to collect the first users' opinion. The company or its contractors have yet to develop a marketing strategy and prepare other moves for development. For a developer or company, the choice of platform depends on diverse factors such as their previous tool stack, budget, current development team, etc. A company that already has a web development team will find it much easier to change some people to React Native.

By contacting our company, you will be satisfied with the result of creating a mobile application. It will be comfortable, multifunctional and present your brand in the most favorable light. We work with clients to get an idea of ​​their precise requirements before coming up with the structure that best suits their applications. Our company builds apps in React Native. Why?

Generally speaking, we would say that RN is the most acceptable solution for the following reasons:

• it saves your time;
• the overall cost of development will be less if we compare it to programming in Flutter;
• it is always easier to find replacement for a good React Native writer than a good Flutter developer;
• more and more talented JS developers are using RN and many of them already gain quite a lot of experience in it;
• you can use most of the code for iOS and Android;
• the RN performance is very close to the native;
• and of course, we prefer RN because we get a lot of requests from our clients for mobile development in this particular technology, and they are all pretty pleased with the result.

In particular, if you are a startup creating an MVP and want to launch it immediately on Google Play and the App Store, using React Native will make it easier for you. Please leave an application on the website or contact us by email at sales@sda.company, and we will reply to you for further details.